Providing public access to the shore: The role of coastal zone management programs

In many coastal states and territories, coastal zone management (CZM) progr ams have been the prime catalyst in leveraging public access initiatives am ong state and federal agencies, public organizations, and the private secto r. A wide range of tools are used, including acquisition, regulations, tech nical assistance, and public education. The diversity of approaches is illu strated through a variety of case examples. Although hard numbers for measu ring outcomes were not uniformly available, between 1985 and 1988, when fed eral and state CZM funding dedicated to public access was tracked, $141.5 m illion (unadjusted 1988 dollars) were spent on 455 public access-related pr ojects. A policy shift occurred in, the 1990s away from reliance on acquisi tion and regulation as the most effective means of providing access and tow ard technical assistance and public outreach-a response to the overall decr ease in funds available for access. CZM programs have been able to balance the contradictory goals of the federal Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (CZMA), such as protecting coastal resources while providing for increased public access to those resources. It is recommended that CZM programs condu ct assessments to determine the kind of access needed in the future and whe re it should be located. And, due to the creativity and innovation that sta tes and territory coastal programs use to achieve access, it is recommended that a national clearinghouse be established for documenting and sharing i nformation on innovative tools and programs.